diff --git a/compos/Android.bp b/compos/Android.bp
index 0cb6894..1eb6716 100644
--- a/compos/Android.bp
+++ b/compos/Android.bp
@@ -83,10 +83,3 @@
     prefer_rlib: true,
     apex_available: ["com.android.compos"],
 }
-
-// TODO(b/190503456) Remove this when vm/virtualizationservice generates payload.img from vm_config
-prebuilt_etc {
-    name: "compos_payload_config",
-    src: "payload_config.json",
-    filename: "payload_config.json",
-}
diff --git a/compos/apex/Android.bp b/compos/apex/Android.bp
index 9942e09..1fffa2e 100644
--- a/compos/apex/Android.bp
+++ b/compos/apex/Android.bp
@@ -48,6 +48,6 @@
     ],
 
     prebuilts: [
-        "compos_payload_config",
+        "CompOSPayloadApp.apk.idsig",
     ],
 }
diff --git a/compos/apk/Android.bp b/compos/apk/Android.bp
index c6192b9..c5d0c31 100644
--- a/compos/apk/Android.bp
+++ b/compos/apk/Android.bp
@@ -3,7 +3,42 @@
 }
 
 android_app {
-    name: "CompOSPayloadApp",
+    name: "CompOSPayloadApp.unsigned",
     sdk_version: "current",
     apex_available: ["com.android.compos"],
 }
+
+// TODO(b/190409306) this is temporal until we have a solid way to pass merkle tree
+java_genrule {
+    name: "CompOSPayloadApp.signing",
+    out: [
+        "CompOSPayloadApp.apk",
+        "CompOSPayloadApp.apk.idsig",
+    ],
+    srcs: [":CompOSPayloadApp.unsigned"],
+    tools: ["apksigner"],
+    tool_files: ["test.keystore"],
+    cmd: "$(location apksigner) sign " +
+        "--ks $(location test.keystore) " +
+        "--ks-pass=pass:testkey --key-pass=pass:testkey " +
+        "--in $(in) " +
+        "--out $(genDir)/CompOSPayloadApp.apk",
+    // $(genDir)/MicrodroidTestApp.apk.idsig is generated implicitly
+}
+
+android_app_import {
+    name: "CompOSPayloadApp",
+    // Make sure the build system doesn't try to resign the APK
+    dex_preopt: {
+        enabled: false,
+    },
+    apk: ":CompOSPayloadApp.signing{CompOSPayloadApp.apk}",
+    presigned: true,
+    filename: "CompOSPayloadApp.apk",
+    apex_available: ["com.android.compos"],
+}
+
+prebuilt_etc {
+    name: "CompOSPayloadApp.apk.idsig",
+    src: ":CompOSPayloadApp.signing{CompOSPayloadApp.apk.idsig}",
+}
diff --git a/compos/apk/assets/vm_config.json b/compos/apk/assets/vm_config.json
index a8dca71..f9f1f90 100644
--- a/compos/apk/assets/vm_config.json
+++ b/compos/apk/assets/vm_config.json
@@ -13,22 +13,10 @@
   },
   "apexes": [
     {
-      "name": "com.android.adbd"
-    },
-    {
       "name": "com.android.art"
     },
     {
       "name": "com.android.compos"
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "com.android.i18n"
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "com.android.os.statsd"
-    },
-    {
-      "name": "com.android.sdkext"
     }
   ]
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/compos/apk/test.keystore b/compos/apk/test.keystore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f024d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compos/apk/test.keystore
Binary files differ
diff --git a/compos/payload_config.json b/compos/payload_config.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 588ccca..0000000
--- a/compos/payload_config.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,15 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "apk": {
-    "path": "/apex/com.android.compos/app/CompOSPayloadApp/CompOSPayloadApp.apk",
-    "name": "com.android.compos.payload"
-  },
-  "system_apexes": [
-    "com.android.adbd",
-    "com.android.art",
-    "com.android.compos",
-    "com.android.i18n",
-    "com.android.os.statsd",
-    "com.android.sdkext"
-  ],
-  "payload_config_path": "/mnt/apk/assets/vm_config.json"
-}
\ No newline at end of file